In large compartments, such as ship cargo holds, tractor trailers and railway cargo holds, the goods are often braced or tied-down to prevent movement of the goods during transit. Crossbars that extend from the floor-to-ceiling or from wall-to-wall are often placed within the compartment to restrain the load from movement. Some proposed crossbars are fixed length bars that extend across the compartment. Others include mechanical gear or lever mechanisms that extend a longitudinal telescoping member into contact with the wall or ceiling to secure the crossbar in place. Such mechanical devices often fall from the compartment during transit because the resulting wall movement creates slack between the end portions of the crossbar and the walls. Other proposed mechanical crossbars have springs that bias one end into contact with the wall. However, the mechanical crossbars are difficult to operate, and the slack often created between the compartment walls and the crossbar during transit is not compensated and the crossbar falls.